THE ZIGZAG ROAD

In this lightly fictionalized memoir, the author recounts her parents’ courtship in the Philippines amid the chaos of World War II.

In the late 1930s, life in the Philippines is “idyllic,” as prosperous as it is peaceful, a cultural milieu richly described by author Morgan. Benjamin Maranan, a storeowner from Alitagtag, catches sight of the beautiful Adelaide Buendia at a festival in her hometown, Bauan. He’s smitten, but an introduction is impossible; Adelaide is vigilantly protected by her brother, Lucio. Later, Benjamin sees her picture in a magazine (she was photographed at a local festival), and he becomes obsessed with meeting her. He writes her letters weekly, and when she finally replies, their courtship officially begins. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changes everything, however. President Manuel L. Quezon predictably declares his allegiance to the United States, and the Japanese promptly invade. At the time of the invasion, Benjamin is far from home in Baguio with a band of brothers and cousins, and they decide to make the trek back to the family in Batangas, a long journey that’s “perilous and unpredictable.” Morgan’s novelistic account of her father’s way home is riveting; it not only thrillingly conveys the danger Benjamin confronted, but also the endless resourcefulness and courage of the people of Batangas. The portrayal of the young couple’s burgeoning love is somewhat mawkish, however: “How can such a beautiful lady be unknown to so many young men? Where is she hiding, and where did she come from? Is she really from Sambat? Maybe not. Maybe she is from another barrio. I have to find out.” Nevertheless, the portrayal of the “uncertainties of time” that plagued the country is gripping. The plight of the Philippines following the bombing of Pearl Harbor is often neglected by writers and historians alike, and this is a welcome correction to that absence.

A captivating look at the sudden transformation of the Philippines by war.